Puccini: Turandot

Have always been a huge fan of opera, and always will be. 'Turandot' has always been close to my heart since performing it seventeen years ago in the chorus, when still in school and at a stage where music was one of the few things that gave me pleasure. Which at the time was a huge achievement for me. To this day, this reviewer still considers it one of Puccini's best operas along with 'Tosca', 'La Boheme' and 'Madama Butterfly'.

It is always wonderful seeing the classic Franco Zeffirelli production from 1987 revived, it is one of the opera world's most revived productions and on the whole deservedly so. Even if it doesn't feel as fresh now and shows its age at times. It has been performed many times on the Metropolitan Opera HD Live series, with mostly very impressive results with a few missteps (i.e. The terrible Calaf in the Nina Stemme production). For me, this is one of the stronger faring productions of the series' revivals and the most consistent in the performances. Of the productions this season, it's somewhere around high middle. It is an uneven production, with a bit of a rough start, but is often absolutely glorious from the three riddles scene onwards.

The production is far from perfect. As spectacular as the spectacle was, it did swamp the drama on occasions with some of Act 1 to begin with bordering on too busy and overblown, distracting one from what was going on in the story and what was happening between Calaf, Timur and Liu. Maybe there could have been more mystery and tension at the start of Act 3, between "Nessun Dorma" and Liu's suicide.

Marco Armiliato also starts off uncharacteristically unsteadily. Did feel that musically Act 1 could have had a lot more nuance and variety in dynamics and phrasing, both heavy handed in the first half of it, and there seemed to be a lot of pushing on with the tempo in the latter half rather than being sympathetic to the soloists. While impressing mostly as Turandot, Liudmyla Monarstyrska starts off a little too subdued for my tastes, "In Questa Reggia" is very well sung with fearless top notes and refreshing legato (the odd choppy jump aside) but there could have been more iciness.

However, there is a huge amount to like. Armiliato's conducting does become a lot more sympathetic and settled in the second act, or at least "Ho Una Casa" (which is touchingly wistful) onwards. He does a wonderful job with all the intense moments in the Three Riddles scene and the climaxes are thrilling. Even better is the third act, which has a lot of momentum while also with the accomodating of the soloists that the first act did not have. The orchestra play with all the hair-raising power, tender lyricism, rousing grandeur and poetic nuance that Puccini's music needs, and throughout they sound positively majestic. Especially at the end of Act 2. The chorus, whose role in 'Turandot' is huge, as always sound splendid, while their acting is a fine mix of chilling, joyous and remorseful.

Excepting Monarstyrska initially, the principal performances are extremely strong. Especially the transcendent Liu of Ermonela Jaho, beautiful singing throughout and truly touching characterisation. "Tanto Amore" and particularly "Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta" had me the most tear striken all season. Yonghoon Lee is a very confident Calaf, with lots of heroic ring and no straining, while still allowing moments of delicacy and softer singing. Was getting real Franco Corelli vibes here and that is a big compliment. Calaf has little to him dramatically, but Lee succeeds in being a very strong heroic presence while never being frustrated by him. Monarstyrska is outstanding vocally and from the Three Riddles scene onwards, she has a lot more firey imperiousness and the softening of Turandot's character in Act 3 is heart melting. Ferruccio Furlanetto is a dignified and touchingly weary Timur, his reaction to Liu's death is one of the production's most powerful moments. Ping, Pong and Pang are very well characterised, funny, menacing and wistful, and blend very well together, just wish that Armiliato conducted them more sympathetically.

Some think that production looks "dated", to me it still looks phenomenal though the spectacle does admittedly get a bit much in places. The sets are typical Zeffirelli, big, sumptuous and elaborate, and the costumes are gorgeously rich in colour and design. The sensitive and remarkably intimate video directing doesn't cheapen the production values at all, and captures the drama very well mostly. The staging is very compelling in Acts 2 and 3, after feeling a bit too overblown and stolid to begin with, with it being especially successful in the more intimate moments and the end of Act 2.

Concluding, uneven but with a huge amount to admire. 7/10.